"C-Can golems really speak that fluently!?"
"Yes, they can," Jin replied simply.
"They need a vocalization device and language processing functions, but since this one has a two-in-one control core, its functionality is sufficient even if the parts were a bit sub-par."
"I-Is that so...?"
"Anyway, now that I have a capable assistant, our efficiency will go up. Hope, help me out."
"Yes, Master."
"Ah, call me by my name."
"Yes, Jin-sama."
Jin had a feeling it would be better to avoid having the golem call him "Master" while Paerova and the others were around.
With a golem of his own creation serving as his assistant, Jin's work speed increased dramatically. The machine could grasp subtle nuances and take the initiative in its movements.
"Alright, handle this part."
"Yes, Jin-sama."
"How is it looking over there?"
"Yes, I have just finished."
The remaining four units were repaired in the blink of an eye.
"Incredible..."
Kachea's shock was understandable. The work was moving several times faster than when Jin had been using the other repaired golems for assistance. Despite the speed, Jin seemed to be working quite casually.
"...I see. I really should... think more about efficiency in my own work."
By late afternoon, shortly before 5:00 p.m., all thirteen golems were repaired and stood lined up in an orderly row.
The leftover materials consisted of 700 grams of iron and 3.3 kilograms of bronze. There were also four used magi-crystals that Jin had deemed unsalvageable.
"O-Oh! You're finished already!?"
Jin turned at the booming voice to see Paerova. Jed Alamold accompanied him, and both men stared in awe at the restored golems.
"Yes, they were finished just a moment ago. Since you gave me permission to build an assistant golem, the work progressed much faster."
"Oh, I see!...And which one is the assistant golem?"
"This one. Hope, greet Lord Paerova."
"Pleased to meet you, Lord Paerova. My name is Hope."
"Whoa!? I-It speaks!?"
"Yes. It would be inconvenient if an assistant couldn't communicate."
"That's not exactly what I meant... well, fine. You've done well, Jin-dono!"
Paerova was in high spirits. He immediately declared that they would have a feast that night, only to be restrained by Jed.
"Jin-dono, welcoming you here has been a stroke of luck beyond my wildest expectations."
Paerova Sondvik straightened his posture and offered Jin a handshake, which Jin readily accepted.
＊ ＊ ＊
"This has turned out to be a pleasant surprise on several counts."
"Indeed. I never imagined he possessed such extraordinary skill."
"From tomorrow onward, let's have him inspect the town's important facilities."
"Yes, that seems wise... However, if we do that, an encounter with that person will be unavoidable."
"It can't be helped. We'll need someone... yes, you should accompany him. That should prevent any major trouble."
"Understood."
＊ ＊ ＊
"A chipped fire-attribute magi-crystal, huh..."
Ordinarily, such a thing would be thrown away, but Jin had managed to obtain it after asking Paerova and Jed for permission.
"With this size and quality, even with Purification, a Guard Ring is out of the question. I'll have to settle for a Protect Ring."
A Guard Ring was an advanced-level item that could deploy a barrier capable of blocking offensive magic, while a Protect Ring functioned at a mid-level capacity.
Of course, Jin could cast such barriers himself, but having an item like this gave him peace of mind during rest and sleep, allowing him to focus his internal resources elsewhere.
"Purification. Crystallization. Forming. Write In... There, that's done."
With his assistant golem and a Protect Ring, Jin breathed a sigh of relief, feeling more secure about his personal safety.
"They mentioned I'll be touring the magi machines in town tomorrow... I'm actually quite looking forward to it."
His primary objective was to reach the Lauren Continent. To do that, he needed to earn trust and secure his freedom of movement.
(Elsa... Reiko... Laojun... Hanna... just wait for me... I'm coming home, no matter what.)
Looking up at the night sky through a small window, Jin renewed his resolve.
The following day, July 27th.
Jin headed into the town of Rofon with Kachea, her supervisor Karlich Gauller, and Jed Alamold. His assistant golem, Hope, had not been permitted to join them.
"The streets are very well-maintained."
In fact, they felt almost too orderly. Jin suspected this was because the town had been meticulously planned. Calling it "historic" would be an exaggeration, but in older towns, additions, renovations, and new constructions usually created a sense of cluttered variety.
This place lacked that. Almost all the buildings appeared to be of the same vintage. Knowing that this was a new town built on a relatively new continent made such a deduction simple.
"Let's head to the public hall first. I want you to take a look at the mana stand there."
An unexpected term reached Jin's ears. A "mana stand," much like the "mana server," was part of the system Jin had once proposed and intended to popularize.
"Understood."
Jin maintained a calm mask, but internally, he was vibrating with excitement. He was dying to see what kind of model they were using here.
"Here is the first one. There are four of these located throughout the town, allowing people to replenish mana at a fair price."
"I see."
Jin focused his gaze on the mana stand. However, even with his talent, he couldn't tell much just from the exterior.
"Do you want me to perform maintenance on this?"
"If you are able."
"I'll take a look."
Jin approached the mana stand and inspected it from top to bottom. It was roughly the size of a drum. It was cylindrical, with a thick conductor cable—resembling a hose—attached to it.
The design seemed intended to refill mana by touching the end of the cable to a mana tank and activating the device.
"Analyze. Trace System. Inspection... Hm?"
"Is something the matter, Jin-dono?"
Jin turned and looked at Jed.
"Jed-san, please don't tease me. This isn't even functioning. This isn't maintenance; it's a repair job."
"Hmm... To think you could tell just by looking... No, my apologies. If you can fix it, I would like you to do so."
"Understood. I'll check the interior first."
Jin deftly removed the outer casing.
"Aha. The ether converter is broken. It looks like it failed due to overuse."
Jin identified the fault at a glance.
"I see... and can you fix it?"
"Yes, as long as I have a magi-crystal."
Hearing this, Jed Alamold made an immediate decision.
"Very well. Let's go see Lorenz."